I'm close to having available a selection of new lures and colours thereof to circulate amongst keen KFNZ members so we can all work out what works and what doesn't. Cost is nothing but postage to the next person on the list when time's up.

The way I see it, the risk is whoever you give your addy to is an axe murderer/stalker masquerading as a fine upstanding member of the KFNZ forum. If people are worried about that, we could always have one person we trust enough and send the lures back to them to send onto the next person on the list so you can all rest assured that not I nor anyone else you don't know will be caught sniffing your Mrs knickers hanging on the clothes line or leaving burley bombs in the letterbox, or drilling tiny holes in your yak, etc?

Perhaps another risk is that a particular lure stands out as so successful that we'll just have to take a member at their word that they lost it on a big fish that broke the leader after maxing out the drag and threatening to pull the yak under.

The supplier is willing to flow us some lures if I pick up the postage cost (from Oz), which I think is a pretty darn good deal. Supplier gets feedback about which lures work and the chance to make sales if some stand out as working really well for us. We get free lures and the chance to leverage the KFNZ community around NZ to learn what's working and hopefully why before we part with our cash and buy our own.

Can anyone see any problems with this approach please?

I'm as keen as mustard to kick start the 'tackle library'. Anyone else keen to go on the KFNZ 2018 lure test-pilot list?

Last edited by kingiFiddler on Fri Feb 09, 2018 4:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I just got these two lures and I have to say, I'm impressed, I can't wait to try them, heavy rig, I think.

they look like the Proberos lures. Perhaps a generic type of design? Looking forward to reading how they work out for you. I've thought of reshaping the bib on mine to give it some corners on the front to see if it will help the lure rock sideways.

I just got these two lures and I have to say, I'm impressed, I can't wait to try them, heavy rig, I think.

they look like the Proberos lures. Perhaps a generic type of design? Looking forward to reading how they work out for you. I've thought of reshaping the bib on mine to give it some corners on the front to see if it will help the lure rock sideways.

"Reshaping the bib", I was thinking about, how if they wobbled, they wouldn't look like they were squid, so I'm looking forward to see, if they just sort of glide, like squid do

Good point, thanks. It makes me wonder if the KFNZ tackle library + members can help us all work out how important the different aspects are. I mean, does the action and colours have to imitate bait-critters exactly, or just be enticing enough to generate a strike. Maybe we can get to the stage we strip the colours completely off a well-performing lure and see if it still gets hit. Or if a particular colour stands out amongst others of the same style, then we change the bib shape to change the action and see if it still gets hit. So many questions, so little time.

Oh to win lotto.

I bet there is a bunch of highly experienced fishos reading these posts chuckling to themselves. They've been here and pretty much asked the same questions and spent years, and $ figuring it out.

Re: trials: I would concentrate on an area where you know there are fish on the bite. On my recent Dr Evil test, the spot I was fishing was giving me a fish, or at least a strike on every cast with soft baits beforehand. It’s never a scientific process, but it helps to remove as many variables as possible.

Although I have & try quite a few different tow lures, some always seem better than others, & catch more fish, I beleive that a lot is due to the vibration & rattle of the lure & less about the size & colour.
Also depths that lures run at, speeds that they are towed, hook types, species of fish tageted, area you are fishing & terrain.
The ability to tow certain hard body lures for long distances is also a factor, this is where I personally think a pedal type kayak would excell.
In an experience last winter, there was another harsh lesson I learnt, not all hard bodied lures have solid connections between tow points & hook connections!!!

So armed with all that I will select a lure not long after launching, generally based on past experience, that will safely swim at a depth wihout getting snagged on the bottom!
GPS & Sonar are important, as well as knowing where your lure is swimming, Keeping an eye on depth & structure, when fish sign appears on screen, it is not uncommon to hook up as the lure passes that sign, althogh I've had good hookups when there is no sign & no takes over plenty of activity, If the latter is the case then I will check the lure for debris & if none usually change the lure, use the GPS to go over the same track from a different direction, as I have a suspicion that there may be an ability for certain fish to detect a lure as it is not behaving like a fish ie: swimming the wrong way?

I am not solely a trolling yak-fisher it is generally between other types of fishing, I run only 1 lure at a time, In front on a Railblazer with short extension. Jigstar 120 & Tyrnos 8, 14Kg J8 Braid, FG, 30lb leader, Genie Clip!
Keep an eye on rod tip, watchout for trebbles, learn from your mistakes, Listen carefully to ST advice.